To Be Free
by Pink Pagoda
Summary: Ed and Al have set off on yet another mundane mission courtesy of Roy Mustang. However this time things do not go as smoothly as planned. Ed comes down with a bad cold and has to return to central almost immediately after they leave.


To Be Free

To Be Free

Edward was, in a sense, trapped. Bound by a promise made years previous. He was bound to that promise by a suit of armour. Someone who did not know the two travellers, on first glance, may have thought that there was someone in the suit of armour. However, Alphonse Elric was only a spirit, bound to a suit of armour by a blood seal. It was quite ironic really. Both of the brothers were bound to each other. If one of them broke the bond, the other would overwhelm with despair. Sometimes the only thing that had kept them going was the prospect that their wounded souls could be healed.

The Philosopher's Stone could, supposedly enhance an alchemist's powers, but at a great cost. Human sacrifices were needed to make and use the stone. That is why Alphonse wanted to give up, because he knew Edward would stop at nothing to restore his non-existent body.

Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang had sent them on a mission to distract them from the dead end that had been looming in front of their eyes. A light drizzle of rain started to fall from the clouds that had been threatening the travellers all afternoon.

Alphonse didn't like rain because it would make him rust, and him rusting would cause more work for his already overworked brother. Alphonse thought Edward didn't like rain either, because it pasted his choppy bangs to his forehead. Truth be told however, Edward was enjoying the rain immensly. To him, every drop that fell upon his face felt like small fingers caressing his face.

"Hey Brother, are you alright?" Edward opened his eyes and turned to his brother with a contented face, "Yeah Al, I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Well you just seemed a little out of it there, was all." Al promptly replied.

"Okay then Al." was the simple reply Ed offered, as the older Elric turned back to the rain that was still falling in torrential sheets from the sky above them.

Silence fell between the two brothers as they made their way to a small town called Drizzledon. Their current mission was to investigate the strange economic advances of the small town. It was obvious that it would be similar to previous ventures in small towns such as Drizzledon, but nevertheless the Fullmetal Alchemist had to complete his mission, regardless of it's redundancy.

Walking between the tracks of a seldomly used train route, the Elric twosome trotted on. Ed's superior, Roy Mustang, had told them that they would have to walk the entire way to Drizzledon on account of the lack of transportation. Grumbling in protest, Ed still accepted the mission on account of being bound to the state. He truthfully had no choice in the matter, so it took less time to submit to his fate.

As the light began to fade in the sky, the oldest Elric decided that he'd had enough for one day. Ed hopped off the edge of the track, and made his way partly into the field on the right side of the tracks. Alphonse followed content that his brother had finally decided to rest.

"Hey Al, do you mind giving me a hand with the tent?" Ed asked in earnest as the canvas of the tent was sticking together.

"Sure thing brother." Al proceeded to aid his brother with the tent.

Once the tent was made Ed flopped down on his sleeping muttering a soft 'night Al', and then promptly began to quietly doze. At first all was well, and the night was peaceful, but by the middle of the night, Ed was being plagued by a number of nightmares. Everytime Al attempted to wake him up, Ed would merely shriek and then clutch his stomach accompanied by a pained moan.

After several hours of this same routine, Ed yelled as he sat up in haste. Breathing heavily he was soon soothed by his younger brother.

"Ed what's wrong? Are you sick?" answering both questions in one simple action Ed shot out of the tent with a kind of anxious haste that Al had only ever seen when Ed was running away from the wrath of Winry's wrench.

Following Ed, Al found his brother a few yards from the edge of the tent dry heaving with all his might. A few moments later Ed tried to speak to his brother.

"Al...pppp ple-ease...I... neee-" but he was cut off by another bout of heaving except this time they provided a more visual result. "Ed!" Al supported his brother as he emptied what seemed to be everything the older Elric had ever ingested.

"Brother what's wrong with you?" not expecting an anser any time soon, Al merely supported his brother as he lost his dignity.

Once it seemed that older Elric had given up everything he'd ever eaten, he tenderly held his stomach, then turned to his Brother. "Al can you please forget you saw that."

Confused, Al wasn't sure what to make of his brothers insane comment. "But brother, you're really sick, I need to make sure your okay."

"No Al, I know I'm okay 'cause...this has happened before." Ed bashfully looked down to his feet.

"What do you mean this has happened before, you mean you've been sick for a while and you havn't told me about it?" Al held a slightly angererd tone laced with his strongly concerned voice.

"It happens most often whenever I have a nightmare." Ed brought his eyes up to meet his brother's soulful lights that substituted as eyes.

"Oh Ed, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you." Ed sincerely responded.

"Okay, just promise me that you'll tell me next time somethings bothering you, deal?." Al

bargained.

"Deal." Ed replied with some resolve and inward relief. Al had believed his little lie.

Okay, so I've finally decided to come back to fanfiction(although I wasn't in much demand or anything). Story wise, I'm gonna make sure my chapters are AT LEAST 1,000 words a chapter. Anything less would be too much like my old style of choppy writing.

So curiousity abounds, should I continue this story, or leave it at a one shot? Anywho, it feels good to be back. I've been writing some "Minutemen" and "Kingdom Hearts" fanfiction for fun, so those will be coming up in the near future.

Much peace and love.

-Pink Pagoda


End file.
